Chained
by Republic of Yolossia
Summary: Three moments they shared like this: among the water and candles, but each one couldn't be more different from the last. The first is contentment and adoration, the second foreboding and fear, and the third a horror neither could ever have imagined. robul/mertalia
1. Not romantic

_Tsvetan- Bulgaria_

_Alin- Romania_

…

_Basically I got this idea yesterday, and it was supposed to be an itty bitty little drabble, but came out a bit longer than expected, and took two days to write. Either way, here's some merman!bul x fisherman!ro._

_**Edit**__: this used to be a fic called 'not romantic', which was this first chapter as a fluffy one-shot, but it ended too happily for my liking, and this au was just ripe for tragedy, so this monstrosity was born. The first chapter is pretty much unchanged though._

…

"What are you even doing in there?" Tsvetan craned his neck, catching a glimpse of the closed bathroom door behind him before turning back, folding his arms and sulking slightly. Alin was in there, plotting something. Every now and again he'd hear a thump or a crash, or splashing water, or curses, but couldn't see what was actually happening for the life of him.

"You'll find out in a minute!" the other called back, "just stay there!"

"Like I have a choice," Tsvetan muttered, looking down at the long tail that made up his lower body, dull green scales glistening in the evening light spilling in through the window. He was lying on his back in a large metal tub filled with water, beached in the middle of the hall waiting for whatever his partner had planned. He was crammed awkwardly in the stainless steel container, tail hanging over the edge and flapping slightly.

He couldn't help but worry. Tsvetan struggled to understand humans as it was, but Alin was weirder than most. He was hard to understand and predict, and had some pretty bizarre habits, not that it stopped Tsvetan from being extremely attached to him. Alin had saved his life and taken care of him, and that was all the merman cared about.

Tsvetan couldn't help but feel jealous of Alin, being able to walk around on human legs, not restricted by cumbersome fins and a need for constant hydration. And he was probably a better swimmer now, too, Tsvetan realised with a wince as he stared down at his disfigured, broken dorsal fin.

It had been an accident. His impulsive curiosity had convinced him that swimming close to the coast in a storm was a good idea; he'd wanted to see what the land looked like when it was attacked by water, and what humans did whilst the elements battled. But the currant had dragged him into dangerous waters, and he'd been thrown against a crop of jagged rocks, torn his fin and sliced his skin and scales open up and down his whole body before blacking out. The next morning he found himself lying in the sand on an unfamiliar beach, tide slowly ebbing away and leaving him, unprotected and suffocating and easy prey for seabirds, or, even worse, humans. He'd just miserably watched as the sea retreated back down the beach and blood from his thankfully shallow wounds trickled onto the sand and water. He was dying. The humans would find his body and cut him open before looking for more merfolk. He'd doomed his own people; there would be no doubt about their existence now and they'd be hunted into extinction. Not that Tsvetan would be around to watch it happen.

Except it didn't.

A young Romanian fisherman, out for an early morning stroll, had stumbled upon him and taken pity on the half-dead sea creature, dragging the now unconscious Tsvetan back to his seaside cottage before anyone else can see them and quickly getting him some water for his gills.

Tsvetan had remained there ever since. Alin usually kept him in the bath, or dragged him around the house in the metal tub when the other wanted a change of scenery, patching up his wounds and keeping him fed and entertained. He'd often leave for days though, out on fishing excursions in the Black Sea on his little trawler. When that happened, he'd leave Tsvetan in the bath with a pile of fish, a radio, and a few picture books, as the merman was still learning how to read human writing. He'd constantly worry when that happened, hoping with all his heart that his little human would make it back safely. No one else knew about Tsvetan, so if Alin died, he'd quickly starve too. He'd also be likely to miss Alin terribly if something happened to him.

"I just need to get something," Alin told him, dashing past Tsvetan and rushing down the stairs, "no peeking!"

"How would I possibly manage that?" Tsvetan asked the empty hall. He still didn't understand Alin's humour, which he guessed was even harder to understand than regular human humour. It wasn't just Alin's humour though; most of the man's tastes were strange. He found the oddest things cute, and showed affection in ways that never matched the other humans Tsvetan had encountered in his life, or even read about.

Still, he wished Alin would just hurry up; he was in a very uncomfortable position, and the edges of the tub were digging into his back. He definitely preferred the bath.

Tsvetan glanced back at his tail, staring at the trail of jagged scars and ripped fin. He knew in his heart- and it pained him to admit it- that he'd never be able to swim in open water again. He could manage a pond or swimming pool but there would be no reintroducing him into the ocean. No, never. He's struggle to swim straight and definitely wouldn't be strong enough to handle the currents. There would be too much competition for food from more capable creatures, and constant danger of predators.

But he wanted the sea so badly.

He could see the vast, blue-grey expanse from the window in Alin's room, where he slept in a paddling pool next to the bed, and it called to him. He yearned for the cool, salty water and the company of other sea creatures, swimming amongst shoals of fish in the blue waters and feeling the sunlight on his face and back. He loved diving deep, slicing through endless spans of water and hunting for mackerel and small sharks.

That being said, he also enjoyed Alin's company, and the other was kind to him. Tsvetan sometimes had visions of brutal, malicious humans who would capture him and keep him in a tank to poke and prod at, or tie him to a table, no water in sight, and dissect him while he was still barely alive. If he had to he stranded, then it was probably better that Alin had found him, and not someone who thought nothing of cruelty.

He could get used to life with him. It would take time, but he'd learn to make the tiny cottage his true home. He was extremely fond of Alin, and knew he wanted to stay with him for as long as the man lived, which would be a considerably short amount of time compared to Tsvetan, but he tried not to think about that.

Over the months, they'd grown steadily closer, their easy friendship beginning to have moments of awkwardness, and Alin would become distant and secretive with him. Tsvetan finally got the truth out of him, and Alin had confessed romantic feelings, overjoyed at finding out that they were returned. Tsvetan had been terrified at Alin finding out, and worried that the other would hate him, dumping him back in the sea, or even worse, selling him to someone who'd hurt him. He feared Alin would find the thought of them being close disgusting, or would prefer a human partner, or at least a female one, but his confession had only been met by happiness and affection, as Alin had pulled him into a hug, almost upturning the tub Tsvetan was in during the process.

Now here they were. Neither of them were too good at romance, having different ideas about what romance actually involved. If Tsvetan still lived in the sea, and Alin had been a merman too, then he'd shower the other in gifts consisting of different fish he'd caught, but that wasn't going to work here. He couldn't catch even the slowest of prey, and it was usually Alin that brought him food. Tsvetan would be lying if he said Alin's consistent gifts of fish hadn't influenced his interest in the other as a partner even slightly.

Alin meanwhile, got his ideas of romance from fairytales and cheesy films, the former of which he couldn't help thinking their situation was. He bought Tsvetan roses from his garden- and other flowers too- explaining their meanings and how to grow them. Tsvetan loved the pretty colours and soft petals, listening to Alin's rambles with interest. But what else was there to do? Tsvetan didn't eat chocolate, and they couldn't go out on dates. Tsvetan didn't understand the point of cards and cuddly toys, or love letters. And there were only so many dinners Alin could prepare for his merman boyfriend, usually consisting of raw fish. Sometimes he'd additionally prepare a desert of more raw fish. There were also side orders and snacks containing- that's right- raw fish.

Nevertheless, there were things they _could_ do. Tsvetan was fascinated by human song, and loved listening to Alin sing. In return, he'd show Alin what merfolk songs were like, slow, melancholy wails that would be painful for normal humans to listen to, but Alin loved them. It was something they could spend an afternoon doing, until their throats were dry and they turned the radio on instead. They couldn't dance together, but Alin would still take Tsvetan's hands, which were hanging over the side of the bath, and swing them back and fourth in time to whatever song they were listening to. They couldn't curl up on the sofa watching a romantic movie, but Alin could sit on the floor next to Tsvetan in his tub and watch TV together in the living room. They mostly watched horror films, as Alin had a peculiar liking for them, but they'd sometimes sit through a nature documentary about sea creatures instead, which just made Tsvetan peckish.

He wondered if all this now was Alin trying another odd human romantic gesture. He had just gotten back from an unexpectedly long fishing trip, which had caused Tsvetan to panic, fearing the other had perished at sea. He hadn't, just been blown off course by a storm, and felt guilty at how distressed his partner was. Was this his way of making it up to Tsvetan? He honestly didn't need to go to so much effort; Tsvetan would have been perfectly content with a hug and some food. He was easy to please like that.

But Alin liked to put effort into relationships, it seemed, and Tsvetan was a little excited. Still scared, but excited too.

"Forgot the salt," Alin panted as he dashed up the stairs with a salt shaker and back into the bathroom, ruffling Tsvetan's dark hair as he passed.

"You're running me a bath, aren't you?" Tsvetan asked, raising an eyebrow and watching in amusement as the other poked his head out of the door to glare at him.

"Shush, you!"

Tsvetan rolled his eyes. He spent most of his life in the bath now; what was so different about today? He watched as the sun slowly dipped behind the hills through the hall window; at this rate it'd be night before he knew what was going on.

"Okay, ready," Alin slipped into the hall, quickly shutting the door behind him and walking over to the tub.

"Finally," Tsvetan joked, as Alin dragged him over to the door, trying not to spill any water. It was important that Tsvetan kept his torso submerged, as that was where his gills were. The two rows of slits running under his arms, down either side of his chest, allowed him to breathe, as long as they were submerged in water. In the air, the gill flaps closed themselves up and suffocated him. He hated the times Alin was forced to lift him up to place him in a new container, but if he didn't get new water regularly, then he'd also suffocate once he'd taken in all the oxygen from that particular pool. And since he was kept in such small bodies of water, he quickly ran out of oxygen. There was also the fact that his gills only worked in salt water, and weren't suitable for fresh water. If he was completely honest with himself, he wouldn't blame Alin if the other ever decided to throw him back in the sea.

"I was afraid I'd dry up," he added, smirking slightly.

"Oh you know I'd never let that happen," Alin cooed as he paused to stroke Tsvetan's face. He then pushed the bathroom door open and dragged Tsvetan inside.

The room was darkened, only lit by candles dotted across the sink, shelves and windowsill. The bath was full and slow, soft music played from the radio in the corner. The curtains were open, for once, and Tsvetan had a clear view of the sea, barely visible in the dim light and empty of human life, thankfully. No one was around to see them, as usual.

"Ta-da!" Alin cried, glancing at the other to gage his reaction. Tsvetan just looked up with a blank expression.

"Maybe if you turn the light on I could see the surprise?" he suggested.

"This _is_ the surprise!" Alin hissed; "the lighting's to set the mood."

"What mood? I don't understand."

"I ran you a romantic bath!"

"And how is that different from a regular one?" Tsvetan looked around. What was so amorous about not being able to see and an added fire hazard? Humans were so strange…

"Well for one thing," Alin explained as he dragged Tsvetan closer to the tub, "there's dim lighting and music. And for another, I'll be joining you."

"You'll… what?" Tsvetan looked up in horror, "Alin, I can barely fit in there as it is without you taking up more room!"

"Come on Tsve, please? We'll be fine! And if you have trouble breathing, I'll quickly jump out and add some more water."

"I guess, that doesn't sound so bad…" He looked at the bath again, "is this really what humans do together?"

"Yup," Alin replied, starting to unbutton his shirt, "well, usually it's full of bubbles, bath scents and warmer water, but those things mess with you, so…"

"That's a thought," Tsvetan murmured, dipping a finger into the bathwater, "will you be okay with cold water? I don't want you turning into an ice cube on me."

"Pfft, like that'll happen! It'll be like swimming in the ocean!"

"This is nothing like the ocean," Tsvetan whispered, before he could stop himself. Alin looked away, dropping his arms as he knelt beside the other, staring at the still bathwater miserably.

"Not that it's important!" he quickly added, resting a hand on Alin's, "I'm happy here with you! I love you, Alin, and want to stay here with you."

"But the ocea-"

"-Is no longer an option for me. It is silly of me to pine for it. My life is with you now."

"There's nothing wrong with missing your old life," Alin told him, "but I'm glad I can make you happy."

"Like no one else can," Tsvetan smiled warmly, running both his hands over Alin's face and hair. His webbed fingers made that a difficulty, but he'd learnt how to angle his fingers to avoid getting tangled with the other's shaggy hair. "Now, show me how humans express love."

"Anything you want," Alin breathed as he leaned down to kiss him. At first, Tsvetan had also found this human custom strange, but quickly decided he loved it. He loved tasting and biting Alin's soft lips, feeling the other close to him, resting his hand's on his warm chest to feel him breathing in and out. He was fascinated by- and a little jealous of- Alin's lungs, and took every opportunity to watch his chest slowly rise and fall, and run his hands over it. Now he was using one hand to feel Alin's chest, and the other to run through the hair on the back of his head and pull him closer. Alin had both his hands resting either side of Tsvetan's face, sliding his lips over the other's almost hungrily. Eventually, Tsvetan pulled away, feeling his gills suck up oxygen faster than normal. Alin was breathing heavily, lips slowly pulling themselves into a grin.

"Careful boy," Tsvetan murmured, looking up with half-lidded eyes, "or you'll make me go all warm-blooded."

"I hope not," Alin grimaced, "your cold blood gives you a slower metabolism, meaning you don't need as much oxygen to survive. If you were warm-blooded then you'd probably die-"

"Alin I'm no expert, but I'm guessing that wasn't romantic. Also, I was making a joke. Laugh."

"Oh," Alin blushed, giving a small giggle, "sorry, I just worry about you…"

"I'm flattered. It's also nice to know you've been doing your research."

"That's me!" Alin smiled sheepishly, "but, as a fisherman, I happen to have a lot of knowledge on, you know, fish."

"And now you have a fishy boyfriend," Tsvetan commented, smiling slyly, "you might be more than a little obsessed with your job."

"A _hot_, fishy boyfriend," Alin corrected, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Hot? But I'm cold-blooded, like you said!"

"No, that's…. not…" Alin sighed, "come on, the candles are starting to drip. Brace yourself." He snaked his arms under Tsvetan's body, lifting him out of the tub and into the bath. Tsvetan felt his airways close up and he fought the urge to panic and writhe. It was temporary. There was nothing to worry about. What if Alin dropped him? What if his airways refused to reopen in the water? He was going to die!

Alin placed him in the fresh water and he began to calm, his mind drifting from the fitful blur it was about to become and back to peaceful thinking. He just lay there, letting his gills filter in the salty water and the oxygen it contained. Alin watched him silently, the merman wide-eyed and staying completely motionless before blinking and looking up at him, giving a small smile and a thumbs up.

"Better?" he asked.

Tsvetan shook his head before quickly changing it to a nod, "yeah, much better."

"Now it's my turn," Alin grinned as he began to pull his trousers down.

"I didn't even know you owned swimming trunks," Tsvetan commented.

Alin paused; "I wasn't planning on wearing any."

"Oh, _oh_…"

"Unless that makes you uncomfortable, then I'll-"

"I have no objections."

"Good to know!"

"And it's not like I myself ever wear clothes…"

"What about that time I caught you borrowing some of mine?"

Tsvetan winced as he remembered how Alin had walked into their bedroom after going shopping to find the merman having pulled most of his partner's clothes out of the wardrobe and was sprawled out in the paddling pool wearing a jacket, scarf and little hat.

"That never happened," he said quickly.

"Yes it did and I have the pictures to prove it!"

Tsvetan scowled and Alin smirked before he pulled off his underwear and joined him in the bath. He hissed as he stepped into the cold water, but quickly sat down, ignoring the near-freezing temperatures. He could do it. He wasn't weak. As predicted, it was pretty cramped, and Alin took hold of Tsvetan's tail, lifting it over the side of the bath, so it hung out awkwardly. "Much better," he said, stroking the bumpy, dripping scales gently. His fingers traced over the scars, careful not to touch the delicate dorsal fin. Tsvetan looked away, letting Alin lean down to plant kisses along the length of the tail.

"Don't worry," he murmured, "one day you'll swim again."

"How?" Tsvetan glared at him, face twisted into a snarl, and Alin sighed.

"I don't know, but I'll figure something out." He stared at the other fiercely, eyes blazing and, for a moment, Tsvetan believed it was possible.

"Yeah? You do that," he sighed, sinking deeper into the water.

"I will! I'm smarter than people give me credit for! I'll make you a new tailfin, out of plastic or something!"

"You can do that?" Tsvetan looked up, truly hopeful.

"Yeah! Saw it on TV once. They did it with a dolphin."

"Well, thanks. Even the offer… it makes me feel better."

"Good," Alin kissed his tail again and Tsvetan slapped him lightly with his dorsal fin.

"Kiss the human part of me you weirdo," he joked, and Alin complied, moving over to lie next to him. It was a tight fit, and Tsvetan struggled to get a decent amount of oxygen, but he didn't care. He loved being close to Alin. He could feel the other's racing heartbeat and steady breathing as his chest rose and fell rapidly from the close contact. He could also feel the other's shivers.

"You're cold, aren't you?" he asked, raising a brow in amusement.

"No! Course not!"

Tsvetan rolled his eyes, "mammals…"

"Fish…" Alin replied in the same tone. His smile and gaze fell, and he blushed, though the other couldn't see it in the candlelight. "Um, Tsvet, can I ask you something? You don't have to answer though…"

"Fire away, as they say."

"Why do you have a nose?"

"…Excuse me?" Tsvetan blinked.

"I mean, noses are for breathing air, right? And you don't do that, so don't need one."

"Ah," Tsvetan flicked his nose, "hmm, I guess they're more for showin', as opposed to blowin', huh?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"No, actually," Tsvetan grinned, "the human part… it's an old evolutionary feature, designed for luring humans into the water to eat. We don't really do that any more, since you all became the dangerous ones, but it'll take millions of years for us to change completely in appearance, so… Yeah, the nose is so we look more human, so as not to scare people with weird-looking faces. I can't breathe through it at all though."

"Fascinating," Alin murmured, "there's so much I don't know about your kind. I've been reading about mer-peoples since I was a kid, but it's still all so new and strange. Some things I've read were true, some things false…" He noticed Tsvetan tensing up again, and quickly moved to the other side of the bath to allow the other to breathe. He winced as the cold water brushed against his skin, but didn't say anything.

"Glad I can help you separate myth from fact," Tsvetan replied, "you _did_ believe a lot of strange things about my kind when we first met…"

"What can I say?" Alin shrugged, "it was what I was taught! Really wasn't expecting mermen to speak Bulgarian though."

"It was what_ I_ was taught." Tsvetan had spent most of the hundred of years he was alive 'haunting' Varna Bay, befriending local children and fishermen and slowly learning their language. He wasn't a vicious merman, though he knew how others liked to prey on humans, and was kind to the people he encountered, especially younger ones. He only revealed himself to a handful of people though, in case someone unsavoury found out about him. Even back then he was paranoid of being caught, especially after hearing tales of torture and death from the other merfolk about members of their species who had been captured. Still, the people in the few seaside villages he'd visited seemed pleasant enough. Once, a group of children had dubbed him 'Tsvetan' and the name stuck.

Of course, he could never stay there forever. Every few decades or so there would be a war or a famine or violence and he'd have to leave, diving deep into the sea to protect himself from the death and destruction. He kept losing track of time though, and always hid longer than he meant to, because whenever he'd finally visit his favourite stretch of coastline, he found he didn't recognise anyone there.

"It was weird though, finding out humans didn't speak the one language," he added, leaning back and resting his arms along the side of the bath.

"Hmm?" Alin looked at him curiously, "you seriously only stayed in the one place all those years?"

"Never felt like leaving, until I got curious about the world," Tsvetan shrugged, shifting slightly and accidentally spilling some of the water of the side. Alin turned on the tap to compensate.

A few weeks before the storm, he'd started travelling north, to find out how big his world really was. When Alin had found him, it had taken ages to grasp the basics of a new language and alphabet, but now Tsvetan could converse easily with the man. He'd also shown Tsvetan maps of the world, pointing out where they were: next to a tiny circle of blue on a huge planet. Tsvetan hadn't realised how small the Black Sea was compared to the rest of the earth, and had been struck with the urge to explore every inch of it, until he remembered he was stuck in this tiny house forever. Alin mentioning the vast, scorching- and very dry- deserts covering the world had made him feel a lot better about not being able to explore though.

"Do you think you'll do it in the future?" Alin traced circles on Tsvetan's tail with his finger, "explore the world?"

"I can't."

"You could," Alin shrugged, "one day. I'll make sure of it."

"Al…" Tsvetan gazed over at him, smiling warmly. He reached over, taking one of Alin's hands in his and stroking the cold skin gently with his thumb. Alin's smiling face flickered as light from the flames danced across his body, the pair calm and tranquil in their own little world. The radio played on, peaceful, quiet music barely reaching their ears.

Tsvetan leaned closer as far as his cumbersome body would allow, and Alin closed the gap, kissing him lightly.

"You're freezing," Tsvetan murmured as he pulled away, touching Alin's cold face with the back of his hand.

"I'm fine!" he grinned and the other sighed.

"If you want to get out and warm up, that's okay with me. I've had a wonderful time."

"I'll stay," Alin leaned forward to kiss him again.

"You'll get a cold."

"Don't care."

"We'll see," Tsvetan kissed him back, trailing kisses down the other's neck and shoulders. He didn't know why he was doing it, but instinct told him he should. Alin let out a little whine and he grinned, exposing a collection of jagged teeth, perfect for chewing up fish and making his partner scream.

"I hope you're still able to take care of me when you're sick," he joked pulling away as Alin turned off the tap.

"Bastard. You're such a fucking survivalist!"

"That's how I've lasted so long," Tsvetan grinned as he lightly slapped Alin with his tail fin; the other laughed and swatted it away.

"Fair enough. But even you have to admit it hasn't gotten you very far."

"Dick," he slapped Alin slightly harder, but the other just laughed again. "I found you though."

"True," Alin nodded, giving a tiny smile through his chattering teeth.

"Look, just get out and get yourself a towel," Tsvetan rolled his eyes, "it's pretty late anyway. At least in our bedroom you can bury yourself in blankets and we can both talk in relative comfort."

"But I can't hug you when we're in the bedroom," Alin sighed, leaning closer, "I'll get my pyjamas wet!"

"Hug me tomorrow, if you aren't ill. Because if you are then please stay the hell away from me."

"Noted." Alin splashed water in his direction before getting out of the bath, awkwardly climbing over Tsvetan's tail and reaching for a towel.

"My turn?"

"Not yet," Alin wrapped the towel around his waist and reached for the shower head, "gotta change the water in the tub first."

"Of course… Al?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not too bad at the romance thing," he winked and Alin barked out a laugh, looking away.

"I love you so much. You know that, right?"

"Love you too…"

…

**Oh god what is this? **

**Yeah it's gonna go wrong pretty fast.**

**I got this idea yesterday, though I won't say where. Pretty obvious though. **

**I wrote it listening it a Kate Rusby album, because her music is beautiful and I love her very much. Actually, I love listening to English folk when I write stuff like this, as the songs are often about sailors and the sea and tragic romance etc. But seriously, Kate Rusby's 'little lights', look that shit up.**

**Eh, so please say what you think.**


	2. Not ideal

_Andrei- Moldova_

…

_Okay finally I wrote the second chapter! It took a while because I'm lazy and bad with words, and have a messed up sleeping pattern. Would've finished sooner but I took a 15 mile hike and watched Yeh jawaani hai deewani._

_I know I said this story gets sad, but this chapter is pretty mild, mostly bittersweet, and Romania nearly catching fire. Again. I gotta stop doing that to him, it's getting old._

_Also, this chapter has a lot of foreshadowing for what happens in the next one, but to make sure it's not screamingly obvious as to what happens I added things that seem like foreshadowing, but aren't. Heck, every sentence could be foreshadowing. You could be foreshadowing._

_So the final chapter will be hella brutal and sad. Why? Because my whole family pulled a prank on me yesterday and I hate the world. Jk I'm just naturally mean, as you will see._

…

"We're safe now."

Alin had whispered those words many times over the past few days, almost inaudible, desperate to reassure himself that it were true. That no one could get them here.

In the distance, Tsvetan swam through the cold waters, and through the murky darkness he could hear the splashes the merman was making, along with gentle, quiet laughter. Water slapped against rock and beyond that was the crashing waves of the sea. He could hear his partner start to hum to himself.

Alin reached into the suitcase and pulled out a single candle, taking a lighter out of his pocket and blindly flicking it on, burning his thumb in the process. The miniscule flame allowed him to just see the candle and his hand, somewhat thinner and paler than it used to be. He lit the candle and set it down on a flat rock, stained with old wax and scorch marks.

At once, the cave lit up dully, dark rocks tainted with a faint glow of orange. Alin sat next to the little candle, cross-legged on a wide ledge with his back against the cave wall, right at the end of the twisting expanse of said cave. Here, the walls had parted to form a small clearing, floor taken up mostly by a deep pool, a continuation of the seawater slowly pouring in. Tsvetan could freely move about, as well as enter and leave the cave, swimming out into the sea, if he could survive in the open water, and if they weren't confined to this one spot for the rest of their lives.

Still, Alin thought as he watched the walls and water glisten in the candlelight, at least they were safe from harm. Even this pitiful existence was better than the alternative. He shuddered at the thought. There wasn't a risk of that anymore though; he'd hidden them too well. No one would be able to see them this far back, and the twisting walls meant that no light escaped to the entrance, attracting the attention of unwanted, sinister individuals. As long as they weren't too loud at the wrong time, they could live here forever.

Below him, in the pool, Tsvetan splashed and cut through the water with his webbed hands, laughing aloud. He closed his eyes, a huge grin plastered on his face, as he swam backstroke, arms slapping against the inky-black water. He dived under, disappearing before jumping up again, breaking through the surface, upper body suspended before he crashed back into the pool. He seemed oblivious to his injuries, and, after days of them being here, still overjoyed at having found a body of water small enough for him to handle, and large enough for him to swim in. He was determined to explore every little crack and crevice in the pool.

Alin smiled down wistfully at him, lips pulled into a thin smile. Tsvetan was happier here then he'd ever been cooped up in Alin's cottage, and he chided himself for not thinking of looking for a body of water like this before, where his partner could be at home. He was selfish. He wanted Tsvetan to stay with him forever, close and where Alin knew he'd be, and thought the other wouldn't mind that. He'd paid little attention to how much his boyfriend missed the sea, presuming the other would eventually settle down and forget about his old home and life. But Tsvetan would never be able to call the cottage his own. He was not a land creature, and his new life was having a drastic effect on his emotional health, not that Alin would let himself see it.

Of course, there wasn't a cottage any more, thanks to Alin, and his stupid mistake.

He'd wanted to tell someone about Tsvetan, just one person to share his biggest secret with, who could finally understand why he cut himself off from his community. It had been too much for him to handle alone, and he knew he could trust the person he told: his younger brother, Andrei. The boy was his closest friend, and shared Alin's love of mythology and magical creatures, so Alin wanted to let him into this secret world, and hoped he'd get along well with Tsvetan. He'd had visions of them being a little family unit, two parental figures and their precious child, and when he'd introduced child and merman to each other, they'd bonded instantly, sitting together and sharing stories like old friends. Everything had gone according to plan and Alin felt like it had been a success, and he'd had no need to worry. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Though Andrei had sworn on his life to never tell anyone, it soon got too much for him, like it had for his brother. The secret had been bubbling on his lips, tingling on the tip of his tongue, and he'd needed to tell someone, or he might just go mad! It nagged at him constantly, and since he didn't live with his brother, he had no one to talk about it to when he needed. Alin lived miles away from Andrei and the village the kid lived in, and Andrei couldn't visit and ask him every little question that came to mind when he wanted! Plus, the secret almost _begged_ to be in the mind of someone new. It was bored of lingering in the brothers' consciousnesses and needed a new vessel, which, apparently, took the form of Andrei's classmate and best friend. Andrei could _trust _his best friend to keep it! Right? Besides, who did the lonely, sad, Raivis Galante have to tell this secret to?

Whoever Raivis _did_ end up telling, went on to tell the secret to another, whom in turn told it to another, until it seemed half of Andrei's village knew about his brother's secret. Most people just shrugged the rumours off. Merfolk didn't exist, and besides, Alin Radacanu had a reputation as an eccentric. He was making weird things up again, just like that time he'd claimed he was a dragon disguised as a human. Or that time he told everyone his head was detachable. Or that he was a wizard.

There were a few who seriously pondered as to whether or not the rumours held any truth. Were there really mythical creatures living amongst humans? Did Radacanu really have a merman living in his house? And if so, _how much was this merman worth?_

Andrei was oblivious to all this, Raivis not so much. He knew he should tell his friend about what they were saying, and planning, but couldn't without admitting he'd betrayed the kid. He was scared his one friend would abandon him, so kept quiet. They were just rumours anyway. Nothing to worry about, right?

If only Andrei had known, he might have been able to warn them in time…

One night, Alin received a knock on the door, finding a few of his fishermen friends waiting expectantly for him. They asked to come in. He agreed. Nothing strange about that. Tsvetan was upstairs in the bath, and would've heard the door, so he had no fear of the merman making a suspicious noise. Content in the thought that they were safe, he led his friends into the main room, eager to hear what they had to say, so they could leave. Despite every precaution he took, he loathed, and was unnerved by, guests, especially ones who stayed long enough to use the bathroom. He couldn't deal with them.

The conversation had started out pleasant enough, if a little too slow for Alin's liking. They were definitely tip-toeing around a difficult subject. Eventually, Alin had lost his patience, snapping that they were all free to say what they wanted here, and that they should do so and be on their way. He was a busy man, after all. It was then that the youngest spoke those five, blunt words: "do you have a mermaid?"

Alin had spluttered, trying to hide his terror and surprise behind nonchalance. He hurriedly stated that he had no idea what the other was talking about, and that merfolk didn't exist, but they insisted he was lying. They saw he was lying, and that was enough. It was pretty obvious, now that he thought about it.

They asked to search his house, and he refused them. They demanded he told them what he was hiding, and he demanded that they leave. They pushed him aside and marched up the stairs. After grabbing a knife from the kitchen table, Alin ran after them, pulling at their coats and barring the way to the bathroom. He pointed the knife in their faces, snarling that they leave, but it was too late. Alin had tried to slam the bathroom door shut as fast as he could, but they'd seen enough: a mop of dark hair, a flash of scales, and a broken fin hanging over the edge of the bath. A faint, accented voice called out to Alin in fear, and despite the latter's threats, he couldn't reverse what the fishermen saw and heard. Now the secret was well and truly out in the open.

After kicking them all out, Alin and Tsvetan had huddled together to discuss what to do next. It was agreed that they needed to leave, and fast, but where to? Travelling on land was out of the question, as was by sea. They had no means of transporting Tsvetan, unless Alin was prepared to drag him around in the metal tub. There was also the question of Andrei. Alin was too afraid to leave Tsvetan alone and fetch the boy, but he feared for the child's safety if he remained in the village. He could only hope Andrei popped round within the next few days.

It turned out they'd not even had that long, as the fishermen were back the next day, with backup. Apparently, the reason Alin's old friends had confronted him so directly was to confirm there was a real merman in the house, then retrieve it for a group of people waiting back in the village. Alin hadn't stopped to find out whom exactly- only that they were willing to pay a handsome sum for Tsvetan so they could dissect him and see how he ticks- when he confronted the group gathered outside. One glance at the guns and knives they all carried sent him running back inside, locking and barring the front door with every piece of furniture he could carry. That was a bad move, it seemed, as they'd planned to force the duo out of their home, by setting it on fire. Smoke them out. They would have no choice then: surrender or burn to death. So they threw their lighters and matches at the door, sniggering and congratulating themselves on their genius.

As Alin huddled next to the banister of his stairs, choking back a sob and watching the flames slowly begin to eat at the door, his ears were attacked by the jeers of his old friends, cackling of fire and Tsvetan's panicked shouts. Alin forced himself to his feet, stumbling up the stairs and snapping at Tsvetan to stop talking. The latter complied, and he quickly ran into the bedroom and packed a few possessions into a rucksack before he staggered into the bathroom, quickly explaining the situation to his partner before lifting him up and rushing downstairs.

By then, the fire was starting on his furniture barrier and the very sight of it caused Tsvetan to squirm and panic, writhing in Alin's arms as the other struggled to maintain a grip on him.

He darted into the kitchen at the back of the house, dumping Tsvetan into the empty metal tub lying on the floor and quickly filling it using a bucket. The merman continued to struggle, groaning in pain as he suffocated and reaching out for Alin, webbed hands trembling and twitching. It was a painfully slow process, but eventually Tsvetan had enough water to sustain him, and, after Alin added a pinch of salt and filled his bag with food, he dragged the tub out the back door, which was left unguarded. Had the fishermen forgotten about it in their excitement? Apparently.

He wanted to find Andrei and bring him along too, as he was truly terrified for his brother's safety now, but knew setting foot in that village would be a death sentence for them all, so hoped the kid would be able to fend for himself. These mysterious merfolk hunters weren't after him anyway, and their parents would look after him.

Down the garden path they went, excruciatingly slowly, and then into the woods. Alin headed south, sticking to the forest along the coast as best he could, only stopping for short naps and snack breaks. At least once a day he'd venture down to the coast to change Tsvetan's water, the latter dividing his time between sleeping and self-loathing, constantly asking Alin why he didn't just dump him in the sea and run. And Alin repeatedly replied that he'd never do such a thing as long as he lived. He'd sooner die than condemn Tsvetan to death.

He wondered if the fishermen were following them. They'd left a considerable trail in their wake, but maybe no one had thought to check the back garden, and had just assumed the duo had perished in the flames. Alin smirked at that; they'd be in so much trouble with their little business contacts for killing such a precious item. Setting the house of someone immobile on fire; what were they thinking? Oh no, his and Tsvetan's deaths were well and truly faked.

Or so he'd thought.

A few days ago, when refilling Tsvetan's tub as the tide came in fast, they'd spied an entrance to a cave, and Alin had left him for a few moments to explore it, deciding they could stay there for the night, and when he joined Tsvetan back on the beach, he spied a gaggle of figures on the horizon. They'd nearly caught up.

He quickly dragged his partner over to the cave, hoping the tide would wash away their tracks in time, like it had done at other points along the beach. Their pursuers were far behind and slow, combing the countryside for them and unable to see the targets ahead, focusing on the forest instead. All that gave Alin enough time to get him and Tsvetan behind the rocks and out of sight before the others got close enough to see them clearly. He travelled further into the cave, until the water swirled around his knees, and he finally tipped Tsvetan into the sea. The merman crawled along the bottom of the stream whilst Alin carried the tub- now containing their possessions- over his head. When the water reached his waist, right at the back, the cave opened up into the pool.

The duo heard shouts from the entrance, and exchanged glances before Alin swam to the other side, guiding the floating tub with a hand. He quickly dumped his bag behind some rocks, pushed the tub down until it had taken on enough water to sink, and waited. Tsvetan grabbed his ankles, ready to pull him under when they arrived so he wouldn't float back up. The footsteps grew nearer. Any second now. Alin took a deep breath and felt the other yank him down just as the fishermen turned the final corner.

Through the water, Alin could hear their jeers and shouts, daring them to come out from wherever they were hiding. They wouldn't leave. His lungs screamed and he forced himself not to take a breath of water, or panic. The salt stung his eyes and Tsvetan's hold on his ankles terrified him. The shouts above turned to hisses of frustration and fear, and desperation even, and eventually they began to walk away.

But Tsvetan still wouldn't let go.

Although the merman was simply waiting until their pursuers were out of earshot, it seemed to Alin like he was attempting to drown him. He wriggled and lashed out, but the other's grip held firm for a few more seconds, before Tsvetan had deemed it safe enough for Alin to resurface.

Alin broke through the surface, splashing and spluttering, gasping for air like a fish. He soon calmed down and regained his composure, embracing Tsvetan and whispering that they were safe. They decided to make the cave their temporary home, deeming it out of the way enough for them to not attract any unsavoury attention, especially now that the fishermen had passed them. It wasn't like they had a home to go back to, or anywhere else to run to. There were a few issues regarding their situation, but nothing they couldn't work out.

The candle burned on, and Alin sighed. All this was his fault.

He feared that Tsvetan would swim away when he was sleeping, preferring to risk death in open water than hide in a cave with him forever. He feared he was possessive, and it scared him. He tried to ignore the constant need for Tsvetan to be near him, but it gnawed away at his consciousness. He was terrified that the other would leave him, and of what he'd try to do to prevent that.

"Hey, the water's lovely," Tsvetan called, "why not join me?"

"Don't feel up for it," Alin told him, swinging his legs over the side, toes just missing the top of the other's hair.

Tsvetan shrugged, "fair enough. Something wrong?"

Alin didn't reply, shifting nervously. Tsvetan rolled his eyes.

"Alright, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," he looked away, "this wouldn't have happened if I kept my mouth shut."

Tsvetan rolled his eyes again; "you still upset about that? Look, you were doing what you thought was right! Either way," he added with a sigh, "it's in the past now."

"But we-"

"Are alive, and could be in a worse place," Tsvetan grinned, "we have food, water and candles; what more do we need? You could go as far as call it romantic."

"Indeed," Alin laughed as Tsvetan grabbed at his feet, pulling his legs up and sticking out his tongue.

"I'm hungry," the merman whined, "feed me, human."

Now it was Alin's turn to roll his eyes; he reached into the bag and pulled out a tin of mackerel, peeling off the lid and picking up one slice of fish with the tips of his fingers. He threw it down to Tsvetan, who caught it in his mouth, swallowing the piece whole. Alin giggled as he popped a slice of mackerel in his own mouth, savouring the salty, oily fish. They quickly got through the tin- Alin throwing one slice down to Tsvetan, then taking one for himself- and soon enough, Alin had drank the olive oil at the bottom and thrown the packaging back in the bag.

"We're down to our last few tins," he commented with a grimace.

"What'll we do when we run out?" It was a topic they'd been avoiding for a while now, mainly because there were few options for them, and the ones they _did_ have were things Alin wanted to put off thinking about.

"I could disguise myself and sneak into a village," he offered, "but I don't have much money. I could try shoplifting though."

"What if you were caught?" Tsvetan glanced up nervously.

"Pfft, like that would happen!"

"It could," Tsvetan sighed, "and I'm guessing there's no moral objection?"

"None whatsoever."

"How shocking," he raised an eyebrow, chuckling.

"Still," Alin shrugged, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." They fell into an easy silence, broken only by the lapping water.

"So," Tsvetan began, "are we feeling better?"

"Of course!"

"You're lying. There's something else on your mind."

"I'm surprised you can't read what it is," Alin raised an eyebrow, looking at his companion curiously, "yes, I am very woeful today indeed."

"Well, what's troubling you?" Tsvetan bobbed up and down in the water, face pulled into an expression of concern. Alin shifted his position, rolling onto his stomach and leaning over the edge, sighing dramatically.

"Andrei!"

"I see…"

"I need to know what happened to him! He's my little brother and I just left him behind with… with those…"

"You forget the fishermen are too busy looking for us to worry about the little Radacanu," he reminded him.

"But what about those bastards back in the village? They'll do something awful to him, I just know it!"

"What? You expect your whole community to just bow down to their wishes?"

"Yes."

"Well, your parents won't, at the very least."

"You think they can protect Andrei?"

"You talk like you're the only one who can," Tsvetan commented, and Alin wrinkled his nose.

"I often feel like I am."

"Well have some damn faith in others! And anyway, if the worst came to the worst, Andrei would have enough sense to get out of there and somewhere safe. He'll be fine."

"We can't say that for sure!" Alin hissed, "I need to know!"

"You will, one day…"

"Not good enough," Alin rolled onto his back; "I need to know what happened to my baby brother…" He felt tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes, prickling and sore, and he blinked them back furiously. He missed Andrei terribly, and feared for the boy's safety. Where was he now? What was happening to him? There was no way Andrei could've been allowed to go back to his normal, mundane life, not with what he knew, and Alin's blood boiled at the idea of him being hurt. He couldn't bear to think about what people were capable of doing to children as small as Andrei, and he scratched as his face to get rid of those evil thoughts.

He needed to go back, and soon.

Alin knew that, if the mysterious contacts had succeeded in taking Andrei, they'd use him as bait to catch them, and Alin would simply be playing into their hands by trying to rescue him. But could he really leave his kid brother to fend for himself?

"You can ask about him when you steal our next dinner," Tsvetan tried again.

"How? All these villages are pretty isolated, and we're miles from home! How will anyone in the nearest town have heard of Andrei's existence, let alone anything recent?"

"Oh, of course," Tsvetan sighed, "I'm sorry. I know very little of human societies…"

"It's okay," Alin rolled over so he was back on his stomach, and stared down at Tsvetan. He seemed small and frail all of a sudden, like he'd just remembered how alien and pathetic he believed he came across as. He was looking down at the black, rippling water, trying to find comfort in its inky depth, like he'd done hundreds of times before. Alin reached down and stroked his hair. "You're trying, and I'm grateful for everything you've done."

"Thanks," Tsvetan looked up and smiled warmly, allowing Alin to cup a hand around his cheek. He grabbed Alin's wrist, pulling him lightly, and the man yelped.

"Tsvet!" he shrieked, laughing and yanking his hand back.

"So, are you gonna join me now?" the merman asked innocently.

"Oh, I don't know…" Alin teased; "how much do you want me to?"

"I'm not prepared to beg, if that's what you mean," he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"That's a shame," Alin pouted, sitting up and unbuttoning his shirt, the same one he'd been wearing for nearly two weeks now. "I'd love to see you do that sometime."

"Twisted little man," Tsvetan muttered.

Alin laughed as he stripped, folding his clothes in a neat pile next to the bag and jumping in the pool. He hit the water with a crash, sinking deeper as salt water attacked his eyes and air bubbled out of his mouth before finally resurfacing. He stopped for breath then turned to Tsvetan.

"Happy?" he asked, shivering slightly. He always hated diving in. He was usually fine after a few minutes, once he'd gotten used to the cold, but the impact always caught him off guard. It tore the air from his lungs.

"Are you okay?" Tsvetan asked, swimming over and looking at him with concern.

"Grand!" Alin gave a grin, which revealed his chattering teeth. "Look, just give me a few minutes to warm up."

"I'll help!" Tsvetan pulled him into a tight hug, which was returned.

"I don't see how," Alin replied, resting his head against the merman's freezing neck; "you're colder than I am. But thanks anyway."

"Al?"

"Yes?"

"We're safe here, aren't we?" he pulled away slightly, clutching Alin's shoulders, frightened. His sharp fingernails dug into the other's skin and Alin found he couldn't hold such an intense gaze.

"Of course! No one knows we're here!"

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing…" Tsvetan looked away, "I mean, what if something happens to you and I couldn't save you?"

"Well…" Alin didn't know how to reply.

"What if you had a heart attack? I wouldn't know you were having one! And you couldn't tell me! Or if you had a fatal disease? What could I do about those things?"

"You could…"

"Yes?" Tsvetan stared at him challengingly.

"I don't know."

"Exactly," he nodded, "I couldn't get you to hospital. Hell, I might not realise you were dying until you were gone! Damn fragile humans…"

"Let's just hope it never happens," Alin sighed, bobbing up and down. He took hold of Tsvetan's hands, removing them from his body and beginning to swim laps to keep warm.

"It could happen." Tsvetan's eyes followed him.

"Then I die." Alin refused to look at him, concentrating on the movements of his arms.

"Then what would I do?"

"Survive, somehow," Alin dived under, feeling the cool water against his face before resurfacing just in time to hear a mumbled:

"I couldn't without you…"

"You could. Maybe we should move the bag down further so you can reach it too. And a few fish have swum in here, and you caught those just fine!"

"That's not what I mean," Tsvetan swam away to the edge, resting his back against the rocks, "I'm not sure I can survive a broken heart."

"Oh," Alin swam over to him, "I didn't know… I thought you were talking in a practical sense!"

"I gathered that," Tsvetan barked out a laugh, then his smile abruptly fell, "but seriously, there's no one else in the world that I care for. What do I do without you?"

"Find someone else?" Alin suggested.

"I couldn't!" Tsvetan cupped Alin's face in his hands, drilling into him with desperate eyes, "I've never felt like this about someone before, and never will again!"

"It was silly of me to think otherwise." Alin stroked the other's damp hair.

"It was," Tsvetan agreed, grinning, "race you to the other side?" He didn't wait for Alin's reply, and darted off with a splash. The fisherman laughed before following.

He attacked the water furiously, kicking out with all his might, but it was no contest. Even with his injuries, Tsvetan had been swimming for centuries, and could easily beat most humans in a race. Alin simply comforted himself in the fact that he could definitely beat Tsvetan in a land race as his fingers brushed against the rocky edge, turning to his partner and pouting.

"You cheated," he whined, "so it doesn't count!"

"I know," Tsvetan nuzzled his face, smiling warmly. Alin replied with a kiss on the cheek, then one on the lips, closing his eyes and taking in the other's soft skin and salty smell. He ran his hands through Tsvetan's hair, and felt the other rest his hands on his chest, once more feeling his breathing and heartbeat. The merman's fingers curled slightly, as if he were trying to rip his heart out. He took hold of Tsvetan's hands and placed them around his waist, just in case.

The kiss quickly grew more forceful, from both of them, and Alin felt Tsvetan bite his bottom lip lightly, but with his pointed teeth, it still hurt. Just how he liked it. Alin gasped and felt Tsvetan grin in an animalistic fashion; of course, those teeth were perfect for catching fish and making his boyfriend scream.

Before things could go any further, Alin gave a yawn.

"Sorry dear," he mumbled, "that was right in your face!"

"It's okay," replied Tsvetan, "though I think you should dry off and go to sleep."

"Look at you, taking care of me and shit," Alin replied sleepily, resting his head on the other's shoulder and closing his eyes. Tsvetan twitched, wriggling his shoulder.

"Bed. Now."

"I love it when you talk dirty to me," Alin mumbled as he nuzzled Tsvetan's ear. The latter rolled his eyes.

"You're tired."

"You're sexy."

Tsvetan laughed, dragging him over to his ledge and Alin scrambled up the rocks, collapsing on his ledge and pulling a blanket out of his bag. He shuffled over to the candle for warmth, grinning down at his companion.

"Sweet dreams," he called.

"You too," Tsvetan replied before diving down, probably to settle down in the tub, still resting on the floor, for the night, as usual. Alin smiled one last time before blowing out the candle.

…

**Sorry for the crappy ending. Jk it's all crappy, oh dear. **

**So yeah I'm gonna be finishing off all my short fics, then making a rota for the longer ones… which I will never stick to. I know. I've tried it before. But hey, no harm in trying again.**

**Right?**

**Ahem. Please say what you think. On second thoughts, maybe not. I'm too sensitive for my own good…**

**It's only now that I've reread and edited that I've realised this certain chapter might've been subconsciously inspired by Sinead O'Connor's version of Skibbereen. But without the potato famine. Pretty sure we all could've done without that. Especially since everyone in my old English class was kinda convinced I'm descended from cannibals (well, my ancestors didn't emigrate, so…). **

**The fuck kind of bullshit do I keep putting in these author's notes?**


	3. Not a hope

_I'd like to apologise in advance for this. I'd like to, but I'm afraid I'm not sorry. At all._

_Warnings for violence and torture. Tbh don't read if you're even the tiniest bit sensitive to these things, and happen to like any of the characters introduced in previous chapters. To put things in perspective, this was hard for me to write cause I kept feeling guilty and horrified about what I was putting everyone through, as well as squirming at the things I had to research, both of which happen… never. I managed to out-scare myself. Wow._

_To those mad enough to continue, I wish you luck, please don't judge me in a negative manner, and maybe leave a little review?_

_Excuse me while I go hide._

…

It was too hot.

Tsvetan squirmed in the lukewarm water, gasping as it stung his sensitive gills, baking his skin. The water was too shallow as well, barely covering his torso and when he struggled, his chest would rise out of the water and his gills would close up, causing him to panic further. It hadn't been changed in weeks, adding to his slow suffocation.

He hated it here, amongst death and torture, reduced to pitiful cries of pain and a life of fear. He'd tried pleading, but _they_ just laughed. He'd pleaded and begged until every ounce of dignity had been sapped from him, but not one concession- one mercy- was granted.

Tsvetan slowly opened his eyes, which were forced shut from the fire spitting from the large, melting candles that hung from holders in the wall. The room- the dungeon cell- had no windows, so all the soot collected around him, and there was no ventilation to relieve him from the sting of the constant fire.

The world around him was a mixture of orange and grey, flames throwing themselves against the stone walls and dancing their deathly dance. Sometimes, Tsvetan would focus on them to stop himself from crying out of hopelessness and misery, often left with his own thoughts, and other unsavoury noises, for hours on end. Made sense, since he was not useful to anyone yet, not until someone else surrendered certain information.

The merman struggled against his chains, huge, rusted monsters that latched onto his wrists, keeping him stuck to the floor in a further humiliation. He looked down at his beaten and bruised body, lying in a muddy pool dug into the floor. His tail flapped uselessly, covered in fresh cuts to add to his old scars, some of his scales missing, shorn off by his captors to study elsewhere.

His pool took up a third of the tiny room, tucked in the corner furthest from the door. He didn't know much about what lay beyond that, but guessed he was underground, and surrounded by similar such cells, if the screams he heard through the wall were any indication.

He gave one last tug on his chains before letting out a sob.

…

"_I'll be back in a few hours," Alin kissed Tsvetan goodbye before climbing out of the pool, following the stream of water back to the sea, drying himself off with his blanket before wrapping the thing round his shoulders, pulling it up to obscure his face. Tsvetan tried to match the other's cheery smile, but couldn't bring himself to. There was too much potential danger._

_But they'd finally run out of food, and although Tsvetan could still catch the fish that accidentally swam into the cave, Alin had firmly opposed to sharing. Tsvetan had forgotten there were some foods that humans refused to eat raw._

_Alin gave a final wave before he splashed onwards, rounding a corner and disappearing from the merman's sight._

"_Be safe," he whispered, clinging to the rocks to steady himself._

…

Alin wasn't above admitting he was a screamer. He shrieked at paper cuts, and would often cry out in fear, especially when he thought someone he loved was hurt or in danger. He screamed when he dived into water, especially cold water and he yelped when he shut his fingers in doors, and when Andrei once spilled red sauce on his hat. But none of those screams could come anywhere close to the raw, bloodcurdling screech he gave now. It was almost inhuman.

His cries blended with his sobs as he yanked furiously at his chains, which kept him strapped to the wall, begging for mercy as he choked on his own spit, but another flash of that rusty saw told him his agony was being ignored. He could bawl all he wanted, but it wouldn't change the situation.

There was no one coming to save him.

It cut through his flesh, sawed through his bones with no compassion. He reached for his leg but his arms were locked beside him. His captors laughed. He felt his throat go raw but continued screaming. It was the only way to deal with his suffering.

The saw moved back and forth, and he felt every tear. He heard the sickening sound of his bones being cut in half, the squirting of blood. Its metallic smell that made him gag. And the pain. Oh god he couldn't take much more of this torture. The saw moved slowly as he was bombarded with questions, and he felt everything. Alin could focus on the pain only, not even registering most of his interrogation. He was blinded by it, eyelid too crippled to open fully.

He would break soon.

…

_Alin poked and prodded at some apples piled on a market stall, wrinkling his nose before moving on. Even if they were fresh, he'd have still left them. He and his boyfriend needed something more filling, and besides, the stall owner was right there glaring at him. He wasn't stupid enough to risk getting arrested over something trivial and honestly not worth it. If he had to commit a crime, then it should be over something tasty!_

_He moved on to the fish market next door and grinned. Now this was more like it! He slid over to the first stall, packed with huge tunas, and picked one up, glancing around before slipping it into his jacket. The owner was in conversation with someone else, and didn't see him as he walked away, pulling his hood further over his face._

_A few similar escapades later and his coat was bulging, stinking of fish, though no one could tell. He'd added a selection of pies and pastries to the load for himself, as well as a tiny bottle of milk and a few bottles of vodka._

_He made his way to the edge of the town square, ducking into a small lane and beginning his walk back to the coast. He tapped his pocket, where a few candlesticks he'd also lifted were nestled. _

_He couldn't help feeling pleased with himself, if a little terrified. All this was too much for his nerves. He wasn't a criminal! He wondered how he'd be able to keep this up without getting caught, and considered collecting firewood, storing it in a dry part of the cave and using it to cook fish, if Tsvetan didn't mind the smoke. Alin groaned. Cooking in a tiny cave sounded far too impractical. Maybe if he tried it once, then he'd know just how much damage it would do, and whether it'd be worth doing it again._

_So lost in thought, Alin didn't notice someone sneaking up behind him until they'd thrown an arm around his neck._

…

Tsvetan barely acknowledged the person entering the room, staring straight ahead with dull, dead eyes. He ignored them when they spoke. When they shouted. His captor clamped a hand under his jaw and forced his head up; only then did Tsvetan look at him.

"Your little human isn't opening up," he growled. Tsvetan smirked through his muzzle and nodded.

"That's my boy."

"Yes, your boy," the captor sighed; "I'm afraid our methods of interrogation are proving ineffective."

"It's no surprise," Tsvetan glared at him as he lay there, "you killed his child. You've taken everything from him. He'll never tell you anything."

"Oh but he will," the man patted his head, and Tsvetan flinched from the touch, staring at him like he was something he'd scraped off the sole of his shoe, if he ever wore shoes.

"What can you threaten him with? What is there left to take away from him?"

All he got in reply was another pat on the head.

…

"_Hand it over," the policeman shook Alin by the shoulders, but he shied away, shaking his head. He wrapped his blanket tighter around himself._

"_I don't… I don't know what… you're…" he mumbled, but another shake and his ability to form words crumbled away. He choked back a sob, trembling and feeling sorry for himself. This was too soon! How could he have been caught so soon? What would happen to him now? And more importantly, what would Tsvetan do if he never came back?_

"_Sir, I caught you stealing from the market in broad daylight! I'm afraid you'll have to come with me."_

"_Am I being arrested?" Alin asked nervously._

"_Yes."_

_Alin tried to wriggle away, but the policeman held firm and, in the process, he dropped his food, which flopped into a sorry-looking, traitorous, pile in between them. _

_The policeman sighed, rubbing his face with a hand; "look, you're clearly guilty, so why not make things easier on yourself and come with me?"_

"_No!"_

"_You don't have a choice!"_

"_Is there a problem here sir?" a third man walked up to them, casual and not seeming to be paying attention to the situation. He was dressed smartly, standing out from the locals, who wandered around in everyday clothing, carrying shopping and shouting children. _

"_Not at all," the policeman shook his head, "just arresting a common thief."_

"_Common?!"_

"_I see," the stranger nodded slightly, "well, I'm sure, since it was a minor incident, you'd be willing to let it go if I promised my friend will never steal again?" he pulled a wad of papers out of his blazer pocket, flashing them at the policeman, who gulped and nodded._

"_O-of course sir!" he let Alin go, throwing him a glare before walking away. Alin turned to his apparent saviour._

"_Thank you!" he gushed, "I thought I was in big trouble there!" He peered at the papers, but the stranger hurriedly stuffed them back in his pocket._

"_Oh it's no problem at all," he replied as Alin bent down to pick up his food. "I'm sure you won't object to repaying such a kind favour."_

"_Of course!" Alin stuffed a particularly warm pie back in his coat._

"_Take me to see your pet."_

_Alin laughed. "Oh I don't keep pets. I can barely support myself! Hence the… stealing food."_

"_Oh, I suppose you call it something different then. A friend, maybe? Either way, I want to see it."_

_Alin dropped the mackerel he was holding, blood running cold as his stomach dropped. "See what?"_

"_Your mermaid."_

…

Alin stared forlornly at his severed leg, sawn off of his body just below the knee and lying beside him, blood still trickling out and onto the floor, red and slippery and soaking his clothes. He struggled to breathe, and sharp pains shot across his chest. He was cold too. So cold.

When he'd first awoken here, weeks ago, he'd found himself in a sitting position, chained to the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. Not much had changed since, except that the room was considerably messier, a foul smell clung to him and his legs no longer stretched in front of him

He wasn't allowed to wallow in his misery for long though, as seconds later his senses were attacked with burning tar. He squirmed as the smell hit him, then screamed when the molten sludge was applied to his wound, where his leg used to be. They held him down when he writhed, kicking out with nonexistent legs.

Every time they cut a piece off they covered it up with tar, to stop him bleeding to death before they could bleed information out of him. Plus, the extra agony it caused broke his resolve further.

He sniffed, looking down at the stub of his arm, where his right hand had been ripped off, and at his other leg, sawn off halfway down his thigh. The mutilations happened around once a week, giving him enough time to recover from the blood loss and shock so the next round was less likely to kill him. Couldn't have him dying on them when he still knew so much and they so little. Probably also why they fed him well, constantly spooning spinach and red meat into his mouth to replace the lost iron.

Alin wondered if he was even recognisable any more. His hair was matted, stiff with blood and tangled around his face, blood and gore streaming from the empty eye socket where his eyeball had been gouged out. Most of his teeth were missing too, pulled out with a pair of tongs.

They continued their onslaught of questions, whilst he wept on.

…

_Alin laughed. "I think you've visited the wine stall a few times too many!" He stood up, beginning to walk away, chuckling as he shook his head. He was proud of how he'd gotten better at hiding his dread and panic over the past few weeks._

_The man soon caught up with him, grabbing his wrist and wheeling him around, slamming him against the wall._

"_I know who you are, Radacanu, and I know what you're hiding." He was close now, his own red, round face up against Alin's. The fisherman just scoffed._

"_Oh, so you believed the rumours then?"_

"_Except they're not rumours, are they? My sources say you've been living with a little fishy friend for a while now."_

"_Oh?" Alin smirked, "and what sources would those be?"_

"_Your old friends," now it was the stranger's turn to smile, "I promised them a great deal of money if they could glean information about your situation, and they did. Weren't too helpful in the capturing of the creature, though I'm sure they know not to make the same mistake again." The malice laced in that last sentence meant Alin could only guess at the horrible things that had happened to the other fishermen. He gulped._

"_So you're… you're one of those people who want to cut up my… friend," his face darkened and he snarled, pulling away and wriggling free, "well you can't have him!"_

"_Oh I have a hunch that you'll hand him over willingly, along with yourself."_

"_Yeah, right," he laughed nervously, back away, "what are you gonna do? Get the copper back and arrest me? I'm not afraid to go to jail!"_

"_Really? Well will this change your mind?" he pulled out a small, cloth bag and took Alin's hand, holding it palm-up and pouring the bag's contents onto it. Alin squinted at the small, white objects in his hand._

"_If you're trying to bride me with ivory, then you've got another thing co… what the?" he held one of the curious little items up, examining it closely. It seemed to be a tiny fang, probably a child's milk tooth, and a cold dread washed over him as he glanced down to find more teeth, including a matching canine. Two fangs. Two tiny fangs. There was only one person he knew with teeth like that._

"_What have you done with Andrei?" he whispered._

"_Nothing permanent," the man replied, "now, how about you lead me to your mermaid, and I'll call my friends and tell them to bring your brother to you."_

"_You promise?" _

"_Cross my heart."_

_Alin hesitated, blinking back tears as he nodded. "Fine, I'll take you to him if you give me back Andrei."_

"_And you'll surrender both of your lives to us?"_

_He gulped, "yes."_

…

Another man entered Alin's cell, but the young man ignored him, torn between sobbing and flinching as one of his captors repeatedly struck his left arm with a poker, crying out feebly. Pain shot through his arm, and the burning hot metal left welts and blisters across the skin.

It had been a few days since his mutilation, and since then the only time anyone had entered his cell was to interrogate him, which had yielded no results. Now it appeared they'd deemed another round of torture necessary. He wondered if they were growing frustrated, or were still patiently, arrogantly, waiting for him to break.

"Well, you seem to have changed since we last met;" it was the same man, the one who'd first caught him and forced him to betray Tsvetan. "I must say," he continued, "you look a mess! But I guess that's what happens when you're annoyingly stubborn."

Alin grinned.

"You and your minions will never break me, you twisted bastard!"

"This has gone on long enough," he ignored Alin's comment and knelt down beside him, "look at how much you've suffered! And your beast has suffered with you!"

"What are you doing to Tsvetan?" he looked up with his remaining eye, smile falling as the blood drained from his already pale face.

"Nothing much, yet," the man's voice was calm and casual, as if he were merely discussing the weather, "since we don't want to risk cutting it up without knowing everything we can."

"Well, I'm saying nothing." Alin glared at him.

"Whilst the creature suffers! It's trapped underground, and my boys have been more than a little rough with the fellow! Your silence is dragging that pain out, and simply prolonging the inevitable."

Alin didn't reply, maintaining a poisonous expression.

"Put the beast out of its misery!"

"Why? So you can begin hurting him instead of me? If I tell you everything- presuming I know anything at all- then you'll cut him up into tiny pieces!"

"Look, we'll kill that merman anyway, regardless of what you spill. And your days are numbered too, so just tell us what you know!"

"I'm saying nothing," Alin grinned, "the worst that can happen to me is death, and right now that'd be a blessing. There's no point bargaining for Tsvetan's freedom, so why bother even talking to you?"

"For that poor creature! It'll-"

"He'll," Alin corrected, "his name is Tsvetan! And he's not a beast or animal! He's-"

"A human being?" the man laughed, "as if!"

"He's my best friend and partner! I love him so much! And he's twice the man you'll ever be!" He stopped, biting his tongue as he realised he'd said too much. The other frowned.

"Love him? And you have the nerve to call me twisted…"

Alin's eye narrowed.

"Look, I'm here to make a deal. If you yield anything you know about the creature, we'll kill it in the most humane way available. One bullet in the skull, it won't feel a thing! But if you continue to be difficult, we'll do to it what we've been doing to you."

"No deal," Alin spat. Like they'd messily hurt their most precious find! The man was bluffing to scare him! Well, Alin wasn't going to be fooled.

"Very well," the man stood up, "carry on, boys."

A particularly muscular captor took Alin's lower arm in his hands, smashing it against a rock until the bones snapped. He screamed in agony, white lights exploding in his vision before he blacked out.

…

_He couldn't stop sobbing. The tears pooled in his eyes and he sniffed, wiping his blotchy face with the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. He led the man through the woods in silence, broken only by their feet crunching over dried leaves, and his messy blubbering. All too soon they'd reached the coast a mile or so from the cave, the roaring of the grey sea almost mocking him. Alin stopped._

"_I'm not going any further until I see Andrei," he stated flatly, refusing to look at the other._

"_Very well," he spoke into his radio, giving their location and listening closely to the reply. "They're close, been trailing us for a while," he told Alin; "we shan't be waiting for long."_

_It didn't matter how long they ended up waiting. It could've been a few minutes, or even thirty seconds, but Alin was too wrapped up in his dread for the time to pass any way but woefully slow. He focused on the rolling waves, eyes fixed on the water as it crashed up the beach, breaking on the sand in an explosion of white foam._

_Eventually, a group of sinister men and women joined them, carrying a child between them. Andrei seemed too fearful to scream or fight back, lying petrified with wide eyes, red and purple gashes covering his forehead, jaw and cheeks. They set him down, tying a rope around his torso to keep his arms in place, holding it like a dog leash._

"_Al?" he squeaked, "what're you...?" He looked at his brother in horror, "you haven't, have you?"_

"_Afraid so," Alin sighed._

"_Because of me? No! You shouldn't!"_

"_Andrei, you're only a child! You're the one who deserves a chance to live!"_

"_I'm sorry," the boy looked down, letting out a whine as he began to cry, "they took me away when I was sleeping…"_

"_No, Andrei stop that!" he bounded over to the child, but was held back by more of the cronies, who grabbed his upper arms. "Let me hold him!" he kicked out, but it was no good._

"_Take us to the mermaid," the man stepped in front of him._

"_You'll set Andrei free, won't you?"_

"_Of course."_

"_And you won't hurt him?"_

"_Mr Radacanu, I can promise that we won't hurt a single hair on your brother's head."_

"_Then, follow me," they let go of Alin, and he began trudging in the direction of the cave._

…

Tsvetan bellowed, crying out in anguish and distress as hot coals were applied to his arm, stretched away from him and held down by strong hands. Each scream only added to his suffering, due to the new muzzle that had been clamped over his jaw, full of spikes that cut into his tongue and gums. Apparently there were some parts of him that needn't remain intact, so long as it got Alin to talk.

He knew Alin could hear him, the door had been left wide open, and he knew from the cries he often was forced to hear that his partner was being held next door.

He tried to resist, biting his tongue and using every ounce of willpower to remain silent, to be brave so Alin wouldn't have to hear him, but the ordeal proved too much.

A fresh bucket of coals was poured over his sensitive skin, and he roared, throwing his mouth wide open and ignoring the spikes cutting into it. The agony was too much! How could Alin have survived this long? He was sure he'd die from the pain alone!

Tsvetan glanced down at his arm, black and erupting with blisters, and wished he was dead.

He never knew there was something more agonising- more cruel- than dying.

…

Each cry cut through Alin's heart, and he fought back tears, both from his own hurt and his partner's.

He glanced down at his mangled arm and gulped, trying his best to keep it still, as every tiny movement sent waves of pain through his body. They were doomed, and had been from the start of this torture, he'd always known that. No point in kidding himself. But now? This was worse than his darkest nightmares. Tsvetan was suffering because of him! Suffering more than necessary. Yet, with a few words, he'd never have to feel pain again.

"This is your last chance," the man said, leaning over him and grabbing a lock of his hair, forcing Alin to look him in his tiny, greedy eyes, "no more skin-deep wounds. Tomorrow we start cutting it up, whilst it's still alive."

Alin nodded, mouth quivering.

"I surrender."

"Excuse me?" the man blinked.

"I'll tell you what I know, if you just put Tsvetan out of his misery. And me out of mine."

"You have yourself a deal," the man took Alin's remaining hand, shaking it vigorously. Alin screamed as wave after wave hit him, almost blacking out in the process.

"Now, tell me everything."

…

"_We're here," Alin whispered, voice numb and flat as he stood at the entrance of the cave. The water swirled around his ankles, and he was pushed forward._

_The man nodded slowly, stepping in front of him. He motioned for a few of his followers to join him, and the group keeping a hold on Alin shuffled up to him, the others lingering behind. They let go of him, and Alin fell flat on his face, splashing in the shallow water as he scrambled up._

"_Now, you go first," the man whispered in his ear, "it won't panic if it sees you."_

_Alin nodded, taking a shaky step. He moved slowly and quietly through the cave, further away from Andrei, still held captive by the members of the group gathered around the entrance, and towards the man he was about to betray. He hoped Tsvetan wouldn't appear to him, that he'd sense something was wrong and hide at the bottom of the pool out of harm's reach. Of course, if that happened, he and Andrei would be killed instantly, then Tsvetan eventually fished out and… he tried not to think about that._

_Alin turned a corner, and the last of the light was blocked out. He placed his hand against the rocky wall, using it to guide him into the heart of the cave. He stifled his sniffing, trying to appear as normal as possible, so as not to scare the other._

_When he eventually reached their pool, he knelt down and watched Tsvetan swimming calmly just below the surface. The merman looked up, smiling brightly as he resurfaced in the centre of the pool._

"_You're back!" he grinned as he bobbed up and down, "did you get lots of food?"_

"_Uh yeah, sure," Alin gave a shaky smile._

"_Want to swim over?" Tsvetan asked, "then we can light up a candle, have some dinner and talk?"_

"_Yeah, in a bit," Alin sighed and looked at his feet, steeling himself to say those next words. "Look, could you come here for a second? I need a… one of your hugs."_

"_Did something happen?" Tsvetan paddled over to him, smile replaced with a slight frown._

"_Oh no!" Alin giggled nervously, "I'm just tired and need some love."_

_Tsvetan laughed, leaning against the rocks at Alin's feet as the other knelt down, wrapping his arms around the merman's back. He just had time to whisper "I'm sorry," before they were jumped from behind._

_The man's minions ran forward from around the corner, shouting as they pulled Tsvetan roughly out of the pool, pushing Alin aside as they pulled out ropes to tie the merman up. They bound his arms together, keeping him pressed to the floor and ignoring his shouts._

"_Alin? Alin! What's going on?" he searched for his partner, who was huddled on the floor staring at him miserably._

"_I'm sorry," he repeated before bursting into tears._

"_You bastard!" he cried as a particularly beefy man began dragging him towards the mouth of the cave._

"_You're a traitor!" he continued, hissing as he was temporarily lifted out of the water._

"_Don't do that!" Alin sobbed; "his gills need to be underwater…" He was ignored._

"_I hate you!" Tsvetan glared at him, eyes full of contempt and fury. "I'm going to kill you!" He tried the wriggle free, writhing in fear and pain from the ropes. "When I get out I'll rip your lungs from your chest! You don't deserve them!"_

_Alin didn't reply, simply continuing his blubbing._

"_What do you have to say for yourself?"_

"_They got Andrei." That was all Alin needed to say. All expression drained from Tsvetan's face, and he gulped as he stared at the other and nodded. He understood. He knew Andrei was the one person Alin was willing to die for, and Tsvetan was too. He loved that child almost as much as Alin did._

_He lay limp, allowing his captors to gag him and drag him to the mouth of the cave, and Alin was dragged away too. They tied thin ropes around his wrists and pushed him forward. He hung his head as he marched desolately through the shallow water. _

_They quickly made their way to the rest of the group, and the man patted Alin's head._

"_Well done, boy," he purred, moving on to examine Tsvetan, prodding and stroking him, a sinister smile on his face._

"_Let Andrei go," Alin begged, "come on, you promised. Please let him go now."_

"_Oh of course," the man wandered over to Andrei, stroking the kid's jaw with a finger, "little Radacanu. It was a shame to lie to you, but we needed you to come quietly."_

"_What do you mean?" Alin was frozen in horror, unable to move even when the man pulled out a knife. Andrei squirmed, trying to break free._

"_I'm afraid we can't have witnesses."_

"_No!" Alin tried to run to his brother- to save him somehow- but he was held back and the man buried the knife in Andrei's neck, dragging it across to the other side, through his windpipe and blood vessels. Alin broke free, but by then it was too late and as he darted forward, he only succeeded in covering himself with his brother's blood._

_Andrei hit the floor, blood pouring from his throat, as his mouth opened and closed like a fish's._

_Alin crashed to his knees, throwing his bound hands behind Andrei's head and lifting the child's head up. The boy's eyes focused on him, smiling with a bloodied, toothless, mouth. He tried to lift his hand, but was already too weak from the blood loss. A few more moments later, and his eyes glassed over. Alin continued to cradle the dead weight of his brother, sobbing into his blood-stained fur collar. _

"_You monster," he whispered, poison in his voice, "he was six!"_

"_Well," the man stood behind him, words laced with amusement, "I promised I'd not hurt a hair on his head, and I did. See, his hair is fine!"_

"_Bastard!" he lunged at the man, hands lashing out like claws, but a crony kicked out, booting him in the stomach before holding his head underwater with his foot._

_The salt stung Alin's eyes, but for the first time he didn't mind the cold._

_Then again, the seawater was mixed with hot, fresh blood._

…

"What is the beast's maximum speed?"

Alin shrugged, looking down at the remains of his jacket and shirt. He couldn't even tell which blood stains were his and which were his brother's anymore.

"Well what's the fastest he's ever gone?"

"I don't know!" he screamed, rolling his eyes, "it never occurred to me to calculate his speed! Who's got time to measure distance and time and do some fancy equation shit? Besides, he lived in my bath most of the time! You can't exactly swim in there!"

"You're not proving to be very helpful," the man groaned, "do you at least know if there are other merfolk?"

"There are none," Alin lied, "Tsvetan's the last one, he told me."

"And do you know how hold… Tsvetan is?"

"A good few hundred years."

"And who chose the creature's name?"

"Some kids he met when he lived near the coast."

The man frowned. "And do you know whereabouts he lived?"

"Varna Bay," Alin answered truthfully, "he lived there most of his life."

"And he was never caught?"

"Well he only showed himself to kids and lonely people," Alin shrugged, "and no one would really believe them if they said they'd seen a merman."

"I see. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"I don't think so. There isn't much to tell." After he'd explained how he found Tsvetan, and them living together, he'd been bombarded with questions about Tsvetan's anatomy, habits and life. He tried to answer the best he could, but knew there was no point. Hell, it was actually more satisfying to lie. Give himself the last laugh.

The man nodded. "Well, I guess you're no use to us anymore. Would you like to say goodbye to your pet?"

Alin frowned at the apparent kindness.

"Yes. I'd like that very much."

"You need to apologise to it, don't you?"

"I guess I do…"

"There's no doubt about it," the man nodded and his men began untying Alin, lifting him up roughly. He hissed at the pain, especially the stinging from his now-infected broken arm. Led by their leader, the subordinates carried him into the dingy hall, and into the next room.

He cried out at the sight of Tsvetan, still chained in his little pool, water even dirtier as flakes of burnt skin from his arm floated around him. Tsvetan looked ill, eyes dull and face off-coloured, arm swollen and inflamed. He stared at the water, not bothering to look at the newcomers. Alin was set on the floor a metre or so from the merman, and he swallowed a lump in his throat before speaking.

"Hey, how you holding up?"

Tsvetan's head snapped up, and his eyes widened as they focused on his partner. Through his muzzle, he cried out at the sight of Alin's horrific injuries, then cried out as the spikes ripped through his jaw.

The man removed his muzzle, more roughly than necessary. "I said it wouldn't suffer any more," he explained. Tsvetan looked at Alin curiously.

"This is the end," he explained, "it'll be instant for both of us."

"We're…"

"Oh no," the man interrupted, smiling at Alin, "we didn't say anything about your end being slow."

"What do you mean?" asked Tsvetan nervously.

"I mean we're going to have a little fun with Radacanu." He leaned against the wall, "well, my men are anyways."

"I want to see how many knives I can stick in him before he dies," one commented.

"I want to set his hair on fire!" another argued, "I always hated his hair."

Alin whimpered and Tsvetan glared daggers at their captors.

"Can I hold him one last time?" he asked, hands twitching.

"Fine, but we're not taking your chains off," the man told him, "who knows what damage a monster like you can do."

Tsvetan growled as Alin was kicked towards him. They rolled him onto his side at the edge of the pool and Tsvetan leaned as close as he could to him, noses almost touching.

"Tsvet," he whispered, "I'm scared."

"I know… look at what they've done to you…"

"Oh come on," Alin forced a grin, "they're merely scratches!"

"I love you, you know?" Tsvetan leaned closer, brushing his nose against Alin's neck.

"I love you too," Alin sobbed, voice laced with pain.

Tsvetan moved his head so his jaw was hovering under Alin's throat, and he licked his lips as he shuddered, thinking about what he had to do. He was doing this for his love, so he wouldn't suffer anymore. Alin tilted his head back slightly, thinking the other was about to kiss him. Tsvetan opened his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth, perfect for catching fish and…

He sunk his fangs in Alin's throat and the other screamed. He tore through the other's windpipe just before he was pulled away. Alin collapsed on the floor, blood slowly pouring out of his neck. He couldn't speak, so simply smiled his thanks. Before he suffocated, he saw a bullet rip through Tsvetan's skull.

…

**Yeaahh this was definitely the most messed up thing I've ever written… but I did warn yous!**

…**At least Latvia survived.**


End file.
